1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the monitoring and transmission of electrical signals for medical purposes. In particular the disclosure relates to a garment capable of transmitting electrical signals such as biopotential signals from ECG electrodes.
2. Background of Related Art
Electrocardiograph (ECG) monitors and recorders are widely used to obtain medical signals containing information indicative of the electrical activity associated with the heart and pulmonary system. To obtain these biopotential signals, electrodes are applied to the skin of a patient or other subject in various locations and coupled to an ECG monitor. The number of electrodes applied and placement locations of the electrodes are dependant on the type of information sought by the clinician.
Conventional electrocardiography protocols have established several standard lead configurations for the placement of ECG electrodes on the subject's skin. A standard 3-lead configuration, for example, requires the placement of three electrodes; one adjacent to each clavicle bone on the upper chest and a third adjacent to the lower left abdomen. A standard 12-lead configuration requires the placement of ten electrodes; six are placed at various locations on the patient's chest near the heart, and four are placed to represent each of the subject's limbs. The right leg electrode is typically designated as the ground, and twelve measurements are then taken from the ten electrodes. These measurements include six measurements from the six chest electrodes, three measurements of the difference in potential between two limbs, and three measurements of the difference between the potential at one limb and the average of the potentials at two other limbs. In addition to the 3-lead and 12-lead configurations, other standard configurations have been developed. The most prevalent among these are the 5-lead and 7-lead configurations.
Once placed on the skin of the subject, electrodes are normally connected to a lead set which is then connected to an ECG monitor. The ECG monitor receives the biopotential signals from the body and processes the data such that the information can be interpreted by a clinician. The quality of information produced is dependant on several factors. Among these are the proper placement of the electrodes, consistent placement of the electrodes relative to one another and proper connection of the lead set to the proper electrodes.
A clinician may find it cumbersome to make the proper connections with a lead set involving many wires which often tangle, and may find it difficult to determine exactly which individual wire is to be connected at which point. Also, a subject will often experience discomfort while connected to a traditional lead set. The subject's movement may be limited and the wires may cause some skin irritation.